The Civil War

Hundreds of thousands of men lost their lives in America's Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865; the Southern Confederacy's casualties were 260,000, while the Northern Union lost 360,000. Of those who died, only a third were killed in action. The rest died from wounds or disease. This primary source portfolio examines and discusses the background to the war, and the friction between pro-slavery Southern states and the abolitionist North which split America. It describes the long and bitter struggle in which, despite many bloody battles, no decisive victories were won. Illustrations, posters, military documents, and personal letters, bring the thoughts and actions of Civil War leaders into the hands of your students. They will explore the lives of Lincoln, Jackson, Grant and Lee, and the "Billy Yanks" and "Johnny Rebs" who fought under them, learning the stark realities of a war which divided a nation. This portfolio includes a Study Guide with reproducible student activities. 5 Illustrated Broadsheet Essays: * Slavery and "Sesech" * Billy Yank and Johnny Reb * The Two Presidents * Grant and Lee * Gains and Losses 9 Primary Source Documents: * Letter from Lieutenant George Herbert of the Union artillery, to his brother * Recruiting notice for a local volunteer force, Charleston, 1862 * Extract from General Robert E. Lee's Special Orders to his commanders, September 9th, 1862 * Letter from George Herbert, dated November 26, 1862, criticizing his superior officers * President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, January 1st, 1863, which freed slaves in rebel areas * Pages from the Richmond Daily Dispatch, June 5, 1863, giving a picture of life in the war-time Confederacy * A message from the Confederate General Howell Cobb to Governor Brown of Georgia the day after Sherman's men had set fire to Atlanta * "Our Union Defenders," a patriotic poster to encourage volunteers to join the Union Army * The Civil War in photographs